Pictures
by Lilyana Turner
Summary: Jeremie thinks about Aelita and finding the antivirus, and in the process ends up telling her how he feels. The summary stinks. Read the story. All flames will be thrown at Sissy, who deserves it. JxA cute fluffieness!


Rating: PG for language.

Summary- Jeremie thinks about Aelita and how he feels about her, and finally tells her.

Comments- I was with my Grandma at the Gym… (never thought I'd say that) and I got bored, so I started writing. This is what happens when you don't get enough sleep and drink too much caffeine.

"What's that? A scanner?" She asked me, reaching for my hand.

"No, not exactly, come on!" I pulled her towards the photo booth by the hand.

I still have those pictures. They're always in my pocket. They're my constant reminder that she's still out there… and I'm still here. At times this whole thing feels useless and I have to remind myself that if I keep going, X.A.N.A has less of a chance of winning. That's what my friends think I want to materialize her for. And I do! I want her to be safe from X.A.N.A.

But the truth? When it all comes down to the truth, I want her here because in my heart I know I love her. This isn't some teenage crush. This is real. And I know that someday I will watch her hold our child in her arms.

She is the first thing I think about when I wake up and the last thing I think about before I go to sleep. And I can't even sleep half the time. I find myself skipping meals, and even classes, to find this anti-virus. I swear I will, even if it kills me. And my grades, which used to be so important to me, are dropping. Yumi says I'm lovesick.

I make another attempt at the anti-virus. The computer screen flashes red, meaning that the most current attempt has failed, yet again. It takes all of my self-control to keep from yelling out in frustration , and even then a growl escapes my lips.

Aelita hears this and pops up on the screen. "It's not the end of the world." She tells me, already knowing why I'm upset. She always does.

"I know… it's just… I'm so close! I just don't get it!" I cry in frustration. I'm so afraid that this search is never going to end. It scares me, to be truthful. It scares me because I know that the monster I must face in the end could rip me to shreds in an instant. But what scares me more is knowing that he has the power to kill Aelita first, and make me watch.

Aelita gives me a smile and I feel my frustration slowly ebb away. I'm pretty sure that if I had been standing, my knees would have collapsed. "Aren't you supposed to be sleeping?" She asks.

"I can't." I give her a half-hearted smile. I know I must look terrible- my hair is a mess and there are dark circles under my eyes. Suddenly I wish I had a comb.

"Why not?"

"I'm… I've got too much to think about. You could call me a worrier." I make up an excuse. The truth is that I can't sleep because I'm thinking about her.

"Like what? You know you can always talk to me…"

"I'm…" I debate on telling her the truth.

"What?" She presses. She's not gonna let me get away this time. I've run from the question countless other times… but now she's ready for it.

"I'm worried about you." I blush bright red and turn away from the screen, taking my glasses off and cleaning them on my shirt to give me an excuse to do so.

"Why worry about me? School is more important…"

"Yeah, it was." I say. "I'm using the night hours to search for the anti-virus."

"Jeremie… Please get some sleep." She begs me.

"I can't!" I'm trying not to yell, because then Jim would come in and find out about Lyoko all over again. Which wouldn't be good, because then we would have to have a X.A.N.A attack and I'm not sure he wouldn't go running straight to the principal. Calmed, I explain. "I'm… I'm afraid of what X.A.N.A is going to do next. I'm trying to keep all X.A.N.A attacks at bay, keep up in school, and find this anti-virus. I've got too much to do."

I stand up suddenly, afraid I hear Jim. His footsteps pass on down the hall and I sit down again, putting my hand in my pocket. And that's when I realize that the picture that I held so dear is gone. I drop to my knees and commence to search under the computer desk, under the chair, and under my bed.

I'm blind. It was on the desk all along.

"What were you looking for?" She asks me.

"A picture."

"They're not all that valuable, are they?" I can tell she's really confused.

"This one is." I hold up the picture of us. It was the first one we took- I've got my arm around her and she's leaning on my shoulder. She smiles and we keep talking.

I yawn and cover my mouth. She laughs. "Why hold onto it?"

She's pushing it. She's trying to get me to say I like her. But I don't just like her. I love her.

"Aelita…" I pause, wondering if what I'm about to say isn't the best thing to do. Decided, I continue. "Aelita… I…" Why is this so hard?! "I…" I take a deep breath of air and force myself to say it. "Aelita, I really like you." I say hurriedly, almost incomprehensibly.

She smiles at me.

"No wait, scratch that. Heck, since I've already said it, I love you." I know I'm blushing bright red by now. "You don't know how much you mean to me. I can't even sleep half the time because I'm thinking about you." I know she's shocked at how close I've come to cursing. I am too. But it's out, and I've said it, and all that's left is to wait for her reaction.

After what seems like an aeon, she replies in a whisper. "I love you too."

A/N: his was written in a Gym and posted at 1:16 A.M. my time. I'm in Seattle right now…. And it's fun! Yay! Anyhoo… I changed a word so now it's G rated… (grins) Yay! I like cute JxA fluffieness!!!


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